OSCE Chairman-in-Office appoints former Finnish President Ahtisaari as personal envoy for Central Asia

THE HAGUE, 13 March 2003 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Netherlands Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, has appointed the former President of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, as his personal envoy for the Central Asian region. This region consists of five countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which are all members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).The appointment was formally announced today in Vienna.

The appointment of Mr Ahtisaari, who was President of Finland from 1994 to 2000, reflects the importance given by the Dutch Chairmanship to relations between the OSCE and the Central Asian states. The CiO attaches great importance to continuing the dialogue with these states within the framework of the OSCE, as this is the only Euro-Atlantic security organization they participate in.

In order to further intensify this co-operation, Mr Ahtisaari has been asked by the Chairman-in-Office to maintain contacts at the highest political levels in all countries concerned.

Mr Ahtisaari, who will work from Helsinki, will visit Tajikistan and possibly other countries in the region on 23 March on his first trip as personal envoy of the CiO.

Mr Ahtisaari has had a distinguished international career, serving as an Ambassador for his country before taking on senior positions at the United Nations, including those of Special Representative of the Secretary General for Namibia and Under-Secretary General for Administration and Management.

Since leaving office as President of Finland, Mr Ahtisaari has held the Co-Chairmanship of the New York-based EastWest Institute and the Chairmanship of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group.

He has continued to play a significant role in international affairs, for example inspecting Irish Republican Army arms dumps as part of the Northern Irish peace process and monitoring the human rights and political situation in Austria on behalf of the EU.

Mr Ahtisaari was born on 23 June 1937. He is married with one son.